Wrench



1 June 9, 1 925.

w. A. NORTON WRENCH Filed Nov. 28. 1922 Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE..f

WILLIAM A. NORTON, or MARSHALLTO'WN Iowa;

.WRENGH.

Application filed November 28, 1922. Serial No. 603,783.

To all, whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, lVILLiAM A. NORTON, a citizen of the UnitedSt-ates, and a resident of hilarshalltown, in the county of Marshall,

State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful lVrench, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lmprovements in that type of a wrench which may be used as a straight wrench or as a ratchet wrench, andparticularly as an improvement in my wrench described and illustrated in my copending application filed December 6, 1921,

t A further object is to provide in a wrench having a handle member provided with a fixed jaw member and a movable jaw member improved means for adjusting and operating the movable aw member relative to the fixed jaw member. 7

A further object is to provide a wrench so arranged and constructed that it may be used either as a solid wrench or a ratchet wrench. 7

A further object is to provide in a wrench having a handle member provided with a r fixed jaw member and a movable mem- 0 her, said movable jaw member bemg actuated by means of an auxiliary pivoted handle member, means for locking the movable handle member in a fixed position relative to the fixed handle so that the wrench may be used as an ordinary solidwrench. V

A further object is to provide in that type of a wrench having a handle member and a fixed jaw member and a movable jaw member actuated by a pivoted handle mem-' sizes, and when onoeadjusted will positively ber, improved means for mounting the piv-- more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in Wl11Cl1 i 1 Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my im proved wrench. 1 t

Figure 2 1s a central, longitudinal, sect onal view of the aw portlon' of the wrench.

Figure 3 isa detail, sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 14 of Figure 23' and i Figure 5 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

My improved wrench comprises a handle member 10 having an outer portion ll and an inwardly extending and centrally located rib 12. One end of the handle 10 is provided with a head] portion 13, the said head having substantially a square opening 14:

and a projectingjaw member 1-5.,

1 The headmember 13 is provided with a circular opening 16. which extends centrally through the width of thehead member and has one side in communication with the opening 14 -The opening 16 has one side provided with a slot 17 which communicates with the bottom ofthe jaw member 15.

Slidably mounted in the opening 16 I have provided a cylindrical member 18 having a series of teeth" 19, which are so ar-.

ranged as'to communicate with the opening 1 1. The opposite side of the cylindrical member 18 is provided witha jaw member2O having a portion designed to operate in the slot 17, and a face-21 parallel with the face 22 ofthe jaw me'mber15,the faces 21 and22 forming the nut engaging portions. H

Slidably mounted through-the openingl t I have provided a pin 23 arranged parallel with the member 18 and having one end provided with an enlarged portion and the opposite end with a smallerportionj25,

,so as to form a shoulder 26. The member25 s mounted in an opening 27 while themember 24 is mounted in an opening 28.

designed to carry athuinb screw 29, said screw being PIOVlClBd with a series of screw The smaller portion 25,01 the pin 23 .100

threaded teeth designed to engage the teeth 19 of 'themember28, and so arranged that as the said member 29 is rotated, the member 18 will be moved longitudinally. through the opening 16, and the jaw member 20 moved towardor rom the jaw member15; he

For actuating the pin 23 I have provideda handle 30, the said handle being substantially U-shaped in cross section, as clearly shown in Figure 3, and having one end rovided with an enlarged yoke 31 designer to entirely surround the handle portion 10, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. One portion of the yoke 31 is. provided with an opening 32 to receivea pin 33 from the head member 13. The pin 33 is located on one edge of the said head mem bernear the opening 14. The opposite end of the yoke portion is provided with across member 34 having a set screw 35.

The yoke 31 is so arranged that the handle 10 may be slid longitudinally through the said yoke and the yoke moved into position with the opening 32 over the pin 33.

After the yoke is thus placed in position, the set screw 35 is screwedinwardly until its inner end loosely engages the adjacent edge of the head member 13, as clearly shown in Figure 2, which provides means for-positively securing the yoke in position on the pin 33. The parts are so arranged that the handle 30 can be swung about the member 33 as a pivot, the forward edge of the cross member 34 being provided with a cam shaped portion 3.6 designed to engage the outer end of the member 24 of the pin 23 so that when the handle member 30 is moved toward the handle member 10, the pin will be moved inwardly and in turn the jaw member 20.

The cam 36 is provided with a slightly concaved socket 37 to receive the end of the pin 24 when the pin 23 is moved to substantially its inward limit of movement.

lVhen the handle is thus moved, it will be seen that the jaw mei'nber '20 is rigidly held against outward movement by the member 24 and the shoulder 26 through the screw 29.

It will be seen that the member 20 may be held rigid and firmly in position by applying a very small amount of power to the member 30, due to the fact that the cam 37 and the pivot 33 are close to the longitudinal aliiiement of the pin 23. The position of the pin 33 on the jaw member may be somewhat varied to, meet the particular working conditions of the wrench.

Ifthe pin 33 is replaced on the edge of the fixed jaw member at a point where it will be in alinement with the pin 23, it will be seen that a positive lock will be provided against the outward movement of the jaw member 20, but I find by actual practice that this is not the best working position for the wrench. The position illustrated in the drawing is nearer correct. I find by locating it at this position, comparatively no power is required to retain the necessary pressure on the aw member 20 and greater movement may be imparted to the jaw member 20 with less movement of the member 30.

Sometimes it is desirable to lock the handle, member 13 in a closed position relative to the handle 10 so that the jaw member 20 may be locked in fixed relation with the jaw member 15. To accomplish this I have provided in the outer end of the member 10 grooves 38 designed to receive a slider 39, a cross section of which is illustrated in Figure 3,. The said slider is provided with a spring 40 designed to engage a notch 41 so that it may be yieldingly retained in its inward limit of movement.

The outer end of the handle member 30 is provided with an inwardly projecting tongue 42 designed to be engaged'by a latch member 43 secured to the slider 39. The said latch is designed to engage the tongue 42 when in its outer limit of movement and to prevent the handle 30 from being moved outwardly, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

The slider 39 is provided with an inwardly extending portion 38 to engage said grooves 38, the said slider being of less width than the handle member 30 so that as the outer end of the wrench is grasped by the operator, the movement of the handle through the hand will not materially engage the said slider and accidentally cause the members to be disengaged.

A spring 44 is provided in the member 12 of the handle 10 to yieldingly hold the handle 30' outwardly.

Thus it will be seen that when it is desired to use the wrench as a fixed wrench, the handle member 30 is moved inwardly to its limit of the movement and the slider 43 moved outwardly with the latch 43 engaging the tongue 42. This causes the cam 36 to engage'the' pin 23' and the shoulder 26 to. engage the screw 29 with the screw 29 at its inward limit of movement, as clearly shown in- Figure 2.

It will further be seen that if the screw construction.

ber 29, as has been used in some previously patented wrenches.

It will be seen that I have provided a wrench which may be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled by simply moving the spring 40 outwardly from the notch 41, then moving the slider 39 inward until it disengages the slots 88, then removing the screw 35 and the cross member 34. The cross member 34, may then be moved toward the head 13, and the opposite edge of the yoke 31 moved out of engagement with the pin 33. The handle may then be moved longitudinally through the yoke together with the spring 44, after which the pin 23 may be moved longitudinally out of its respective openings, releasing the screw 29 and permitting the head member to also be moved downwardly and outwardly. device may be assembled by a reverse operation of the parts.

It will also be seen that Ihave consider ably cheapened the construction of the wrench and also its strength due to the yoke construction which surrounds the inner por tion of the fixed jaw member, and so arranged that the strain of the movable jaw will be against one edge of the fixed jaw member rather than on a small pivot as illustrated in my previous application, and also as is used in several of the wrenches of similar These pins soon become bent or loose and troublesome and often need tightening.

Furthermore, it is almost impossible to easily and quickly disassemble a wrench having the pivoted handle member attached to the fixed handle member by means of a riveted pivot.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a wrench which is considerably improved over my previous wrench, and one which is made of a comparatively few parts, and which may be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled, and when assembled will be positive in its action, and of strong construction.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wrench comprising a handle member having a fixed jaw member provided with an opening and a fixed pin, a movable jaw member provided with a screw threaded portion, a pin slidably mounted through the opening of said fixed jaw member, said The a slidable pin being designed tomove in a. plane parallel with the movement of said movable jaw member and having its outer end provided with an enlarged portion, a screw threaded member on the smaller portion of said slidablepin within the said opening and in operative relatio-nwith the screw threadedportion on said movable jaw member, a movable handle member having a yoke portion surrounding the head portion of the fixed jaw member, said yoke having an opening designed to receive said fixed pin from one edge of said fixed jaw member, the said yoke being provided with a cross member opposite from' the opening of said yoke, the said cross member being provided with a cam portion to engage the said slidable pin, and a set screw for hold-, ing the yoke portion in operative position on said fixed pin. i

2. A wrench comprising a handle having a head member provided with a fixed jaw member and a pin, a fixed movable jaw member in said head .member, a pivoted handle provided with a yoke surrounding a portion of the said head member, said yoke being provided with an opening to receive the fixed pin on said head member,

said yoke having across member and a set screw for retaining the yoke on said fixed pin, and means actuated by the cross member of said yoke as the movable handle is moved toward the fixed handle for adjustably moving the movable head member. toward the fixed head member. I

8.- A wrench comprising a-handle having a head member provided with a fixed jaw member and a pin, a fixed movable jaw member in said head, a movable handle member provided with a yoke surrounding a portion of the said head member, said yoke being provided with an opening to receive the fixed pin on said head member, said yoke having a cross member and a set screw for retaining the yoke on said fixed.

pin, means actuated by the cross member of said yoke as the movable handle is moved toward the fixed handle for adjustably moving the .movable head member toward the fixed head member, and means for looking the movable handle in a closed position.

Des Moine's, Iowa, October 14, 1922.

WILLIAM A. NORTON. 

